Hollister
– The Juvenile Justice Commission is making progress in bringing
its membership up to state guidelines.
Hollister – The Juvenile Justice Commission is making progress in bringing its membership up to state guidelines.
Its three sitting commissioners met Monday at Juvenile Hall with seven prospective applicants. The commission needs four more members to be in accordance with California Welfare and Institutions Code. Until the commission seats seven members, it will be unable to play its required advisory role in selecting a replacement for former Chief Probation Officer Deborah Botts.
San Benito County Superior Court Judge Steven Sanders, who presides over the commission, said the replacement of Botts is the commission’s most urgent task.
Sanders hopes to review the 10 applications he received and approve the new members before the commission’s next meeting on April 9.
Sanders said he was happy with the turnout of prospective commission members at Monday’s meeting. Most of the applicants have a background in working with juveniles either at schools or as part of the justice system, Sanders said.
“More people can still apply,” he said. “I’d like to encourage everybody to get involved in these types of community agencies.”
After a background check on all applicants, the commission will begin contacting prospective members, Sanders said.
John Delgado, who has served on the commission since 1999, said Monday’s turnout was the highest in years.
“I’ve haven’t seen this many people in a meeting since 2000,” Delgado said. “It was nice.”
Delgado, along with fellow sitting commissioners Randy Pfeifer and Elizabeth Alameda, took the time to tell the applicants what the commission does and what it can do once it is brought into compliance.
“We have an opportunity to go into Juvenile Hall and provide some of our skills as professionals,” Delgado said.
Prospective applicants included a law enforcement officer, a former teacher and a former substance abuse counselor, Delgado said.
One of the applicants, Elena de la Puerta Parsons, who is a counselor at San Andreas School, applied because she wants to work to keep juveniles from making poor decisions.
“My job is to prevent them from going into Juvenile Hall, or keep them from going back,” Parsons said.
Parsons also has three female students, a 16-year-old and two 17-year-olds, who have applied to the commission to make a difference in the community, she said. The teens will most likely attend the April meeting.
“Next month, my girls are dying to go,” Parsons said.
Michael Van Cassell covers public safety for the Free Lance. He can be reached at 831-637-5566 ext. 335 or [email protected].
